Problems with Paradise
by BrennaTheTriplet
Summary: Dick Grayson and Wally West are great friends, and maybe even more? Keeping watches on their daily routines is a good way to find out. A random collection of Birdflash moments.
1. Knight in Not-So-Shining Armor

Wally bit his lower lip and reached for his ankle. Sprained. Definitely not broken. He tried to stand. That didn't work. He tugged himself over to the wall, wincing with each movement. It could have been worse. At least he still had a leg. Leaning his weight against the wall, Wally pulled himself up onto his good leg. Sweat streaked down his back which was uncommon for the speedster, as he attempted to hobble down the alleyway. It hadn't been a good idea of his to patrol without Barry, but Wally had wanted to prove himself to his mentor. He regretted it now. Wally moved a few feet before leaning once again on the wall. This wasn't working. He pulled out his phone and groaned. Dead battery. Wally slipped his phone back into his pocket and hobbled a little farther before putting too much weight onto his bad ankle and collapsing. Wally's breath came short and his vision spotted. Breathe. His vision came back, but he didn't dare move. A few moments passed. "Well look who we have here. Flash's sidekick. Speedy isn't it?" Wally glanced up quickly and bared his teeth. Two teenage wannabe thugs swaggered up to him, and stood intimidating in front of him. "Your boss got my pop locked up in jail. Now my ma has to work three jobs to keep mah house together," The first thug stated, "Whatcha gonna do about it?" Wally attempted to think up a snarky comment the way Barry used, but what came out of his mouth wasn't at all as intimidating as he hoped. "Nice shoes," Wally stated frowning. Thug #1 Smirked and replied, "Thanks. You wan' a closer look?" He pulled back and aimed a kick at Wally's head. Wally's instincts cut in and he moved. He turned and intercepted the boy's kick, grabbing his leg and twisting it until the boy lost his balance. Wally sprung out his arm to pull the boy's other leg out from under him. To Wally's good luck, the second thug attempted to catch and steady his friend and fell himself. To Wally's bad luck, the second boy fell hard and fast onto Wally's bad ankle. Wally bit his tongue hard and moaned in pain. He froze, giving the first thug the time to pull himself together. He pulled Wally up and shoved him at thug #2. Wally's arms were yanked behind him and he was held in place. Thug #1 grinned and pulled back his arm. "You're gonna regret that," The first boy growled, "My pop's in jail cause a you and your boss. I'm gonna mess you up. I look out fer mah own." Wally closed his eyes as the boy swung his fist. He heard a crash on the wall opposite of him. Thug #2 shoved him to the ground and Wally heard a familiar laugh. A small figure landed behind Thug #2 and a blur of limbs landed him next to his friend. "Cute speech," The figure stated. The brunette sidekick walked forward and said, "Did you learn it from your father?" Thug #1 bared his teeth and flipped a switch blade. Robin grinned and lunged hesitantly. Thug #1 moved forward swinging his knife freely, underestimating the Boy Wonder. Robin hooked his thumb around the boy's wrist, pulling his arm away from his body and throwing him off balance. As the boy struggled for his balance, Robin kicked off the ground and used the thug as a balance beam, spinning midair and landing lightly behind the boy. As he came back to the ground, he grabbed with boy's hair and brought his arm down, dragging the boy to the floor. Robin stood as the boy trembled. He turned to face Thug #2. "You take your guy, I'll take mine." Wally watched in awe as the boy helped up his friend and hurried him out of the alleyway. Robin walked over to Wally and kneeled next to him. "A little early in the night to be in trouble, eh KF?" Robin pulled an ace bandage out of his utility belt and started to wrap Wally's ankle. Wally looked at the Boy Wonder and grinned. "My own personal knight in shining armor has come to my rescue. Thanks Rob." Robin stood and picked Wally up with surprising strength. "You really need to eat more KF. You're super light for someone your height." Wally laughed with a grimace as his ankle throbbed and replied, "You've got room to talk. You've seen how much I eat, I can't help that I burn calories." Robin carried Wally down the alleyway to his motorbike. "Not much room for two," Robin stated as he helped Wally onto the bike. Robin climbed on in front of him, and Wally grabbed the Boy Wonder's waist. The lack of space between the two of them left Wally feeling comfortable and safe. "What are you doing here anyways?" Wally asked, looking up to speak in the Boy Wonder's ear. Robin leaned back into Wally so that the speedster could hear him and replied, "Out with Batman. He told me to get you home. Where's Flash?" Wally shuffled on the bike as it took a sharp right and said, "He's, uh, out. Told me to patrol the East side of the city. By the way, what were you and Bats doing in Central City? Isn't Gotham your thing?" Wally felt Robin tense as he replied, "It's confidential." The bike took another sharp turn and Wally winced as his ankle roughly hit the side of the bike. "Dude!" Wally exclaimed. Robin shrugged and commented, "Sorry." After a couple more minutes and a few more not-as-rough turns, the two turned onto Wally's street and Robin stopped the bike. "Get inside before the neighbors see you," Robin ordered. Wally obliged with a "Duh" and hurried to the door with the help of Robin. At the door, Wally pulled out the keys and opened it. He turned to Robin to thank him. His words were met with the Boy Wonder's lips. Robin pulled back and blushed bright red. "Dude!" Wally exclaimed. Robin grinned apologetically, but Wally laughed and shoved his shoulder lightly. Wally complained, "How am I supposed to say thank you now?" Robin grinned and closed his eyes. Wally leaned forward, his heart beating fast, and kissed the Boy Wonder. Despite how wrong others may have found it, Wally felt like he was doing the right thing for the first time in a while. They pulled away from each other and Robin stepped back, heading to his bike again. "Are you coming over tomorrow?" The brunette asked. Wally nodded and replied, "Duh. You've got that new game, right?" Robing sent back his own nod and said, "Just got it yesterday." Robin waved as he got on his bike and Wally grinned. He had just kissed his best friend. And he might kiss him again tomorrow. As wally walked inside, he felt Robin's lips on his own once more.


	2. The Dance

Thank you for the reviews! I didn't think anyone would read it and *Ahem* Like it?

**popcornQueen010:** Thanks for the insight. I'll take anything you have to say into consideration. But I do not appreciate you accusing me of disrespecting the two best characters I have ever met. These two together, whether as friends or a couple, are my kryptonite because they are my favorite characters separate. Yes, there are people who just pair two random characters together for the fun of it, but I honest to goodness feel that Birdflash is good and real. Please, I won't disrespect your opinion, but don't disrespect mine.

* * *

The night had been the dullest night ever. When Artemis had asked Wally to come with her to her school's dance, he hadn't expected it to be this… slow. He didn't know anyone at Gotham Academy except Artemis and Dick, but Artemis had been talking to her friend Bette all night, and Dick was nowhere to be seen. Wally had figured he wouldn't show with Artemis around, because she didn't know his identity, and Dick had wanted to keep it that way.

Wally jolted back into the conversation as Bette said, "Have you seen the kid in the mask?" Artemis shook her head and replied, "Haven't seen him. Is it normal for someone to wear a _mask_ to these things?" Bette shook her head, stretching on her toes to look for the kid. Wally did the same, though he didn't have to look very far.

A boy with a smaller stature, thin frame, and glowing black hair walked through the crowd. Despite being small, he held himself in a way that radiated confidence. People moved out of his way, and he glanced smirks at everyone he passed. The boy moved gracefully through the crowd and paused in front of Wally. Wally gazed into his bright blue eyes and grinned. The boy's mask framed his face in spirals, and his dark navy suit framed his slim body perfectly. Wally glanced down at his own plain black suit.

"Way to upstage me," Wally grinned. He glanced at Artemis and noticed a look of disbelief. "What are you doing _here_?" She asked him.

"You know him?" Bette asked her. She shook her head quickly, replying, "No!"

Dick grinned and held out his hand to Wally. He asked, "Wally West, do me the honor of dancing with me?" Wally took his hand and laughed, "I've been waiting all night!"

Dick led him out to the dance floor and pulled Wally into a waltz. "This isn't the right kind of music," Wally stated. Dick waved to the band, and they started playing a waltz.

"You were saying?" He spun Wally and pulled him back in.

"You sure know how to woo a girl," Wally joked. With a glance around the room, he noticed other people watching the two of them. Not that he minded. "Artemis is going to be upset that you didn't ask her to dance," Wally added, glancing around to where ever his date was. Dick nodded over Wally's shoulder and spun him out to look. "I took care of that," Dick stated. Wally saw Artemis a few feet away dancing with Dick's 'brother' Jason Todd. Wally frowned and said, "That won't work long."

Dick laughed and explained, "Jason does have an attitude, but he can be charming when he wants to. Besides, he owes me." Wally laughed and took a turn twirling Dick. "Well, when she beats him for commenting on her dancing skills, we'll see how charming he can be."

Dick's phone rang, and he answered without pausing the dance. He spoke into the phone, then hung up and smiled. "I've gotta go. Business," he said. Wally pulled Dick's gloved hand up to his lips. "Let's do this again sometime," Wally laughed. He walked over to Artemis and cut in on her dance. Wally watched as Jason and Dick left, with Jason grumbling. Artemis smirked and asked, "Should I be jealous?"

* * *

Sorry, yes, this one is shorter. The written range of my writings often vary, but the content must still be somewhat doable, Yeah?


	3. High School Story

Wally entered the cave and looked around. His team was standing in a circle, surrounding Nightwing and someone wearing the Robin suit.

The group turned towards him as he exited the boom tube, and Dick had a grin on his face. "Wally!" The Boy Wonder exclaimed. Wally joined the circle and looked the new Robin up and down. "Not bad. You've made adjustments, so you aren't a gymnast, are you?" Wally asked, shaking the new Robin's hand.

"I'm not as good a gymnast as Nightwing, but I think I can manage," Robin stated, giving a modest grin. Dick laughed, "He can manage himself. Batman thinks it's a good idea for him to train with the team."

M'Gann smiled and said, "I can't wait to see him in action!" Connor groaned and stated, "Now we've got two Robins to show us up." M'Gann laughed as Artemis replied, "It's better than two Wallys." Wally scoffed and retorted, "I happen to think two of me would be amazing!" Artemis laughed, "Maybe it would help you learn to fight better." The whole group laughed, and then Robin said, "Is something burning?"

Confused looks were shared, and M'Gann jumped and hurried to the kitchen. Connor rubbed the back of his neck and said, "I'm gonna go fix the bikes." Dick pulled out his phone and grinned at Wally as the superboy left. He held up his phone and said, "Check out this game I found." Wally read the game title aloud and scoffed. "High School Story? What the heck is that? Sounds Lame." Dick laughed and said, "Okay, it looks dull. But it's actually interesting. Check it out." He showed Wally a few of the features of the game and Wally laughed.

"You named your characters after us? That's so sweet," he joked, "What's that? Ooh! Connor and Miss M are dating on your game?" He searched and found Artemis. "Why is Artemis dating Aqualad? Oh man, Bats and Superman? That would be weird." He continued searching through the couples, looking for his name. "Who am I dating?" He asked.

Dick raised his eyebrows and reached for his phone. "It's not a big deal," He said. Wally pulled the phone out of the younger boy's reach, simultaneously trying to find his name. Dick jumped for the phone, but Wally kept it out of his reach. Wally hadn't noticed how tall his best friend had gotten till now. Wally yelped as Dick tackled him. They wrestled for the phone, but Wally managed to just barely keep it. He found his name and froze.

"Duuude," He whined, "Who the heck is Barbara?" Dick laughed and grabbed his phone back. He hopped up and walked to the kitchen where M'Gann, Aqualad, and Robin were talking. Wally sat there a minute, disappointed, before standing and following Dick. He pulled out his own phone on the way over and started to download the game.


	4. Dicks before Chicks

Wally's eyes fluttered opened. The very first thing he noticed was the calm face of his best friend. Dick's black hair had fallen over his face, sprinkling in front of his eyes. Wally heard the boy's soft breath as it exited his mouth. Wally closed his eyes again and matched his breath to Dick's.

Wally had spent the night at Wayne manor while his parents were on a trip to visit cousins. He would have had to stay with Barry and Aunt Iris, but Dick had suggested that he stay with him. And staying with Dick was much more fun than it would have been with his aunt and uncle. The two boys had stayed up most of the night playing video games.

Dick shuffled beside him and Wally squinted open his eyes. Green eyes met blue and Dick grinned with a yawn. He sat up, stretched, and yawned again. "When did you wake up?" He asked Wally. Wally shrugged and sat up with a groan. "Not too long. You drool when you sleep." Dick laughed and groaned at the same time. "Duude! You don't have to point it out! Besides, at least I don't wake up with bedhead." The two boys grinned at each other, and Wally's stomach growled. They burst out laughing and Dick said, "Let's go see if Alfred's cooked breakfast."

The two left Dick's room after changing and walked down the hall. "You_ let_ them get away! If you had just let me-"Jason's yelling cut off and was replaced by Bruce's low, quiet tone. His muffled voice stopped and Jason replied, "Just because you have some strict moral rules! Some of these people don't deserve to be on the streets!" As Wally and Dick got closer to the room, the sharp noise of skin on skin contact sounded. Dick stopped in the doorway and Wally followed suit. Batman had already moved on, heading back to the batcave, but Jason stood there in his Robin suit with his hand against his cheek.

The Robin suit was covered in blood and light gashes from grazed bullets covered his body. Alfred walked up to Jason and led him towards the kitchen. Dick called out to Alfred and said, "Wally and I are going out to breakfast." Alfred nodded, "Of course Master Dick," and led Jason on his way.

Dick tapped Wally's arm as he passed and Wally followed. "Is Jason having trouble?" Wally asked. Dick nodded and replied, "He's having a hard time accepting Bruce's moral rules, obviously. Jason's just a bit too… Eager, when it comes to fighting. But he's working on it." The two entered the garage and pulled out two of the bikes. "Have you talked about it with Bruce?" Wally asked as he put on a helmet. Dick nodded and flipped up the glass to reply, "I've even offered to take him in, but I think Bruce has made it a personal project." Dick flipped the glass back down and started the bike. Wally Did the same and they headed out to the nearest diner.

Dick kept taking sharp turns and shortcuts without any warning, causing Wally to continuously have to take U-turns. A couple of times, Wally lost Dick altogether and had to stop and wait for him to backtrack to Wally. Once they finally reached the diner that Dick liked, Wally sighed with relief. He turned to Dick and waited for him to remove his helmet before saying, "Next time we'll take a car." Dick smirked at Wally and followed him into the diner.

The two sat at a booth near the middle and pulled out the menus. "My treat," Dick said. Wally grinned and scanned the menu. He laughed as he found several items he liked and said, "You might regret that!"

"Of course I won't. Technically, Bruce is paying," Dick replied as his blue eyes glided over the menu.

After the two had ordered, and Wally had assured the waitress that, yes, he really wanted that much food; the subject of Artemis came up.

"You guys haven't really been talking lately," Dick pointed out. Of course Wally knew this, she was his… something. Wally stirred his spoon in his malt and shrugged, replying, "She's mad at me for something. I don't know what. I think she broke up with me." Dick raised an eyebrow and asked, "You _think_?" Wally nodded and pulled out his phone, flipping to the messages. Wally explained as he handed his phone to Dick, "There was an argument in person, and when I tried to call her, she ignored me. Then I texted her and she replied that." Dick took a moment to read the messages, and then looked up at Wally. His face held concern, but his eyes glittered with thought.

"It does sound like she's breaking up with you," Dick started, adding, "But it also sounds like she isn't. Because she said here, 'You don't care about this enough,' which sounds like she wants you to care more, but she also said here, 'don't change your habits for me,' which sort of sounds like she's giving up on your relationship." Wally sighed and put his head in his hands. Dick said, "If you ask me- Thank you," The waitress brought over their food, and Dick continued, "She just needs some space, to go and beat something up." Wally nodded once and they started eating.

The conversation continued on as they ate, and in the time it took Dick to finish his plate, Wally finished three. When they finished, Dick paid and turned to Wally. "There's a movie theater down the street. Let's go see that new movie 'Frozen'." Wally scoffed and laughed as they exited the diner. "Frozen? That Disney movie?"

"Yeah, why not?" Dick laughed and pulled Wally's arm, dragging him down the street. "Alright, fine," Wally gave in laughing and walked with his friend to the theater. Dick linked his arm through Wally's and smiled.

Dick was attempting to make Wally feel better, and Wally new it. What he didn't share out loud was that he preferred spending time with Dick rather than Artemis because despite how fun she could be, she sometimes left him feeling doubtful of himself. Dick never did that to him, and Wally knew he never would. They walked into the theater and found seats directly in the middle of the theater, by the time the movie started, Wally was probably about as excited for it as Dick was.


	5. The Phone Call

Wally's phone rang for the third time, and he lunged to grab it before the caller hung up. "Wally West, what do you want?" Wally asked. Dick replied on the other end of the line, "Don't answer your phone like that." Wally laughed and walked to the fridge. He opened it and scanned the shelves before pulling out several items. Grabbing a knife, he began to make a sandwich.

"What are you up to?" Wally asked his best friend.

"Nothing much. Bruce has this luncheon to go to tomorrow and he's making me go." A shuffling could be heard in the background, and a call of "Jason!" was heard before Dick continued, "Sorry. Do you wanna go with us?"

Wally balanced the pros and cons of going along. Pro: Food! Con: Dull conversations. Pro: Hanging out with his bro! Con: Everyone else would be strangers. In the end, the food won out and Wally agreed, "Alright. It could be fun." Wally finished making his sandwich and took a bite. With his mouth full of food, he asked, "What do I wear?"

"Something nice, I guess. Jason's not going. I guess it's cause Bruce doesn't want him causing problems," Dick explained. Wally laughed and replied, "Have you taken him to any before?" The background shuffled again and a few seconds went by before Dick replied, "We've taken him to a few. But at the last one, he got into an argument with the host about Batman taking in kids as sidekicks. We kind of need to avoid that happening again." Dick's voice sounded a bit far off. He had put Wally on speaker. "Just wear the jacket you wore to the dance with Artemis. Lose the tie, though. That would be overdoing it."

There was a loud shuffle and Dick gave a short grunt. Wally raised an eyebrow and asked, "Dude, what are you doing?" There was more shuffling, and Dick's voice got louder as he picked up his phone and said, "I'm redoing my room. I needed something to focus on." Wally finished his sandwich and asked, "Are you okay?" Dick didn't reply, aside from an, "Mhm," but then said, "Yeah. Kind of nodded, Whoops."

Wally laughed and stood up, stretching. "I'm gonna go. I told Artemis I'd meet her for a movie." With another shuffle in the background, Dick replied, "Alright, have fun. Don't forget about the luncheon tomorrow." Wally laughed.

"Are you kidding? I wouldn't miss it for the world!"

"You'd better not! See you later."

"See ya."


	6. Play the Game

"You can't do that! Can you do that?" The loud question came from the Irritating lips of the Kid Flash. The boy's best friend, and should be lover, answered with a grin, "Yes I can."

"Then why can't I do that?" Wally asked. Dick replied, "Because I'm a higher level than you, and your class doesn't even have the right skills." The speedster threw a die at Dick, and crossed his arms, pouting. The pout brought a smirk across Dick's lips, and Jason rolled his eyes.

He wasn't sure why he had even agreed to play this game. Dungeons and Dragons was such a nerd's game, and so far it had been a constant play pause. Wally would stop them every two minutes to ask a question. Sure, it was his first time playing, but was he really that slow? The game had been pretty much a flirt fest between the two older boys anyways. Wally would be surprised if Wally didn't dump the archer girl for Dick.

"While you two settle this lover's spat, I'm gonna go to the bathroom," Jason said, standing from his seat and grabbing his empty glass before heading from the lounge into the kitchen. He placed his glass in the kitchen sink and headed for the bathroom in the hallway.

As he exited the bathroom, he bumped into Red Arrow. "What's up?" He asked Roy. The two had surprisingly gotten along well, and on the occasions where Roy had come back to the cave to use the computer-which wasn't often- Roy would only speak to Jason before leaving.

"I haven't found anything yet," Roy said, frowning as usual. It was difficult to get him to laugh lately. "That sucks," Jason replied. Roy shrugged and asked, "what about you?" Jason laughed, his voice dripping with sarcasm, and said, "It's pretty good. Batman's still pushy and Nightwing's not dating Kid Flash." Roy raised an eyebrow. This conversation had often come up, and Roy didn't buy it.

"You still think they're gonna be a couple? You lost that bet weeks ago."

Jason shook his head and replied with a smirk, "It will happen. Then you'll owe me that twenty." Roy smirked slightly with a "Yeah right. There's as much a chance of that as-"

A crash came from the lounge. Roy and Jason gave eachother a look as they hurried to the kitchen. As they walked in, they locked eyes with M'gann and Superboy across the room. Jason looked to the table where he had been playing with Dick and Wally.

The table had been overturned and the dice were everywhere. The papers scattered across the floor. Jason raised an eyebrow as he saw Dick and Wally. The two boys were in the most compromising position they could have possibly found.

The two lay on the floor, Wally on his back and Dick on his stomach atop the speedster. Dick's shirt was half off his body, and Wally's pants down around his ankles. The boy wonder's face was held just above Wally's stomach. Both boys sat up, bright red, and stared at their audience.

Wally laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. "This is quite the mess," Dick commented, looking at the dice and papers, probably hoping to change the subject immediately. "What in the world happened?" M'gann asked, her eyes darting back and forth between the two boys with a small smile in her eyes. "It's not what it looks like!" Wally spewed.

Dick frowned at Jason. He had apparently seen the slip of a twenty from Red Arrow to Robin.


	7. Wants the D&D

"You can't do that!? Can you do that?" Wally paused the game once again in an attempt to understand. He stared at his best friend for the answer. "Yes I can," the Boy Wonder answered, toting a grin. That was totally unfair!

"Then why can't I do that?" He asked. Dick replied, "Because I'm a higher level than you, and your class doesn't have to right skillset." Well that's not fair at all! Wally picked up some dice and threw them at Dick. He then crossed his arms and pouted. Dick smirked, and Wally held back a smile. He loved that devious little smirk.

Jason stood up and grabbed his now empty glass, saying, "While you two settle this over's spat, I'm gonna go use the bathroom. " He placed his glass into the sink and left the room. Wally huffed.

"We don't have lover's spats," he complained. Dick laughed and told him, "Yeah, if we had lover's spats, I'd always win." Wally stared at Dick and retorted, "No way, I would totally win! You wanna know why?" Wally paused for a second of dramatic tension before continuing, "You can't resist me." The brunette stared at Wally before bursting out into laughter.

"You think I can't resist you? That's ironic! You can't even stay mad at me for more than 3 minutes!" Wally stood and leaned over the table, looking directly at Dick. He reached up a hand and touched the Boy Wonder's sunglasses. Dick's arm swung up and grabbed Wally's arm. Wally leaned forward a bit more until their faces were less than a foot apart.

"Irresistable," Wally moaned, letting out a grin he had been hiding. He noticed a blush had crossed Dick's cheeks and grinned wider.

"I really am irresistible, aren't I?" Wally laughed. Dick's eyes flashed mischieviously, and Wally had no time to react when dick reached over, unclipped, and stole his belt. "Dude!" Wally cried out, grabbing the unheld end as Dick's arm retracted back. The two boys now each held one end of the belt.

Both were laughing as they struggled to win the belt. Wally's hand slipped and he knew he only had one chance. He tugged on the belt hard and fast. He got the belt, but he also got more than he bargained for. The table fell as Dick's weight knocked it off it's legs. Wally caught the table and just steadied it as he himself fell instead. The rough movement knocked his pants waist off it's resting place and down around his ankles.

He hit the floor, his waist hitting a few of the fallen dice. The brunette fell on top of him and Wally groaned.

"Now look what you've done!" The two boys accused each other. "Me? You're the one who stole my belt!" Wally pointed out. Dick sassed him back, "Well, you were the one trying to be irresistible!" Wally smirked and struck a lie-down pose. "I don't have to try babe." Dick stood up and shook his head, "Sorry pal, I really think you do." Wally feigned offense, "Owch, that hurts." Wally smirked.

Wally kicked out his leg and swung it against Dick's ankle. Dick grabbed at the table as he fell, but it didn't do anything to help. Dick's forhead hit Wally's stomach, and the table hit the floor with a crash. "Really?" Dick asked with a groan.

Wally heard footsteps and realized what a compromising position he and Dick were in. He struggled to get out from under his friend, but only succeeded in grinding his waist against the boy's chest. People entered the room from both directions and Wally's face flushed. He laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his neck as he looked at Miss Martian and Superboy from one exit, and Roy and Jason from the other.

"This is quite the mess," Dick said, looking around at the fallen papers and dice. Neither boy had yet moved, but Wally was clearly hoping no one would say anything.

"What in the world happened? M'gann asked. Wally saw her eyes glancing between himself and Nightwing. A smile hid on her face, and Wally knew the assumptions she was making. "It's not what it looks like!" Wally exclaimed, hoping they'd take his word for it. It looked as if no one had, but Wally didn't say anything else as he disentangled himself from his best friend and stood up.

Kneeling next to Dick to help him clean up, he leaned over and whispered into the boy's ear, "I'm still irresistible." The younger boy laughed and shoved Wally.


	8. Hit Me Baby One More Time

His best friend glanced up at him without much meaning as Dick entered the room. He turned back to his game and greeted, "Hey." Dick raised an eyebrow and sat down next to Wally. "Is everything all right?" Dick asked, nudging Wally with his elbow. Wally shrugged, refusing to look away from his game. Dick shuffled into a more comfortable position and watched as Wally played the game.

"Hey, there's a guy behind you," Dick pointed out. "Yeah, I've got it," Wally replied, spamming the A button on his controller. Dick frowned a bit and looked at Wally. His features were flat, as if he were purposely holding back from saying something. His eyes blinked rapidly as he played. His back slumped against the back of the couch, but he looked as if he were ready to bolt at any moment. Occasionally, his foot would tap a quick rhythm before sitting still again.

"Wally?" Dick asked, placing a hand on his friend's. Wally paused his game and looked up at Dick. Dick looked into his eyes, trying to find some hint of what was wrong. "What?" Wally asked, slight irritation entering his voice. Dick winced a bit at the harshness of Wally's voice.

"When was the last time you got a good night's rest?" Dick asked. Wally's eyes widened a bit as he contemplated the question. "I slept pretty well last night," Wally stated.

"Are you drinking water?" Wally nodded, a confused expression on his face. "Have you been eating enough? I know your metabolism is much faster than-"

"Dude! What's with the questions?" Wally asked, miffed. He unpaused his game and continued playing without waiting for an answer. Dick frowned, worry and confusion lining his brow.

His friend had been acting weird for the past week, but no one knew what was up. Two weeks ago, when he had broken up with Artemis for "personal reasons", he had seemed fine. But as that week had come to an end, he had slowly become more introverted, very unlike the extroverted and enthusiastic Wally the team knew and loved. Barry had tried talking to Wally, but the young speedster had played it off as if there was nothing wrong. When Artemis had spoken to him, he acted perfectly Wally, but it was obviously an act. So Dick had thought that maybe he should figure out what was bugging his friend so much. It wasn't working out so well.

Dick sat there and watched Wally play his game. He noticed Wally's irritated ticks going off one by one. His foot started tapping consistently, he bit his lip, and his blinking quickened. Whenever he thought the Boy Wonder wasn't looking, he would sneak glances over at Dick, and quickly back to the game. He occasionally scratched the back of his ear and tightened his frown. The ticks went off one by one, but Dick couldn't tell why. All of a sudden, much to Dick's surprise, Wally went off.

He stood up, throwing the controller onto the ground with so much "Do You really have to be sitting here? Can't you go-" He paused in his yelling, his face contorted, "-eat-" his upset eyes searched for the right words, "-eat a-a- pineapple or something?!" His face burned bright red, probably due to the fact that what he said ruined his angry outburst. Dick stood up also and got really close to Wally, staring straight into his eyes.

"Hit me," Dick said.

"What? I'm not gonna-" Wally looked appalled.

"Hit me," Dick repeated. If his friend was upset, he needed some way to get it out of his system, and if he wouldn't go out and do it, this was the only way.

"Dick, I'm not gonna hit you, so don't-"

"I knew you were too chicken," Dick laughed harshly. He turned his head and put a hand on his hip, "You know you wouldn't stand a chance against me."

Wally took a step back, raising a hand in protest, "I'm not chicken, I just don't think that I should-"

"Besides, it wouldn't hurt anyways. You hit like a five year old girl," Dick put on a smirk and laughed again. He turned back to see Wally's reaction, and grunted as a fist flew into his stomach, causing him to bend over to lessen the impact.

He stood up, one hand on his stomach and grinned, "Is that all you got? I've seen kindergarteners hit harder than that!" Wally swung again, this time connecting with Dick's jawline. Dick straightened out and was knocked down again with a punch to the stomach. Wally kneed him twice, then pushed him onto the couch.

Dick looked up at his friend and saw tears streaming down his face. Wally brought one hand up to cover his face and closed his eyes. "Sorry," Wally apologized quietly. His voice cracked. Dick grabbed Wally's other arm and pulled him down to sit on the couch. Wally leaned in and rested his head on Dick's shoulder. Dick wrapped one arm around Wally's shoulder, and placed the other on his knee. The two sat in silence for a moment.

"Do you know what's wrong?" Dick asked. Wally shook his head, his body shuddering as he attempted to hold back his tears. Dick laughed softly and rubbed Wally's shoulder. "Hey, it's gonna be okay."


End file.
